I searched Ebay for Broadway and BLI but I noticed only a few Blue Line models on Ebay. Most of the items were the older QSI models and this makes me think that the Dealers are not stocking the BLI products in their stores. My LHS does not stock them and the shop I visited in la la land last week does not handle BLI products.
Does your LHS have BLI and the new Blue Line in stock???
This can’t be good for the future of BLI/PCM if they do not get their products out to the public.
My LTS does not stock any BLI/PCM products anymore. He said it has something to do with the pre-order thing. They take too much time to get their stuff out. He will take special orders, but that is it. He doesn’t order anything for store stock.
There is a problem with the length of time lost waiting for the pre-orders to complete.
I have quite forgotten all about the issue except that everything out of BLI is now Blueline and has generated MORE problems requiring many forums to resolve.
Personally I dont use blueline because Im all DCC and dont need that older technology or re-runs of previous models already sold with QSI.
There is a little BLI selling going on here and there and it is not the problem as it once was.
Other manufacters like Proto has stepped in with the QSI and kept it going so I can still enjoy new engines from time to time.
Good point. If a LHS makes a reservation and then the product is not available for months or even years, the customer probably changes his mind and purchases something else leaving the local shop with stock they don’t want.
My thought about this problem is they sold the orginal BLI line with QSI and most of us purchased all we wanted the first or second run. How many times can you recycle the model in a five year period or less time frame and still sell large runs to customers. Most of kato products are rerun on a five to ten year period and normally sell out fairly soon.
The funny thing about the BLI products is they just imported the MT-73 UP mountain again in the standard line with QSI sound. Not all of their products are Blue Line, but it is hard to figure out what their game plan is.
They still have the orginal PCM line also and anything coming in with the PCM name is Loksound.
Blueline has its problems but is is very inexpensive and some are buying them. I have not purchased any since the ones I wanted are scheduled for last November. Opps. They missed that date and slipped several months now to spring of hopefully 2008.
All of the schedule problems point to money problem know as cash flow. It is too bad since they were the first to give us installed sound and lots of it in their first three years.
My favorite local pusher stopped carrying BLI and PCM for two reasons:
The unreliable delivery times were getting to be really annoying, but that was minor compared to
The whole Factory Direct Trains bit- he resents the fact that he went to a lot of effort to market the BLI line locally, then BLI went and offered the products direct to the public through FDT for approximately what a dealer has to pay to get them. If they’re going to make an end-run around and undercut the dealers who helped establish their product line, he’s no longer willing to tie up any of his inventory money in their product. He’s not the only dealer I’ve spoken to who made this decision.
FDT is a separate company and not a part of BLI/PCM, they are a superstore just as for example Trainworld. I would also like to mention that all the other major stores like Caboose have the exact same prices as FDT on new items. FDT is selling of the old stuff at extreme prices, not the new stuff.
On your first point I have to agree.
“1) The unreliable delivery times were getting to be really annoying, but that was minor compared to”
The delivery times sucks. If they do not want to release it until a specific date then put up a date, just say preorder in case we make it.
I don’t believe that there is quite as clean a separation between the two as you think. At the time that FDT emerged, there were several indications of ties that were closer than the usual dealer-manufacturer relationship. I have yet to see hard evidence that this is not the case.
As for Caboose Hobbies, I’m sure that they can move enough product to negotiate their own deal with BLI/PCM. That’s not dissimilar to what happened between P2K and some large discounters during the famous “dumping era” before Walthers bought out Life-Like.
That they are connected in a way is no doubt. But they are not the same. However, the owners of both companies are brothers. Which of course explains the relationship. But to complain about the non-blowout prices of FDT is in my mind wrong. Just look around, all the major online retailers have the same prices, caboose, trainworld, first hobby… and so on.
I guess my point is this, if the LHS complains about FDT that is wrong, he should complain about the Internet discount shops all together. Not just one small fish in a bigger ocean. FDT have had spectacular sales that no one have matched, but they have been a way to remove old items often released years ago(with some exceptions). I think FDT have become sort of pariah of the industry. Customers loves it and I know that Joe at FDT gets my money for BLI/PCM items even if the price is the same at an other place. But that is because they have great customer service.
That is the other thing I forgot about. He became angry when the FDT thing was started by BLI. He was stuck with certain BLI/PCM products that he paid more for than what they were being sold for at FDT directly to the consumer. That was the final straw.
I think the reason many of the LHS complain about BLI/PCM and FDT goes back farther than the start up of FDT. About three years ago, BLI started what I now call their first famous Blow Out Sale directly from BLI. This happened after Christmas when the original owner and founder of BLI left the company. Money had to be raised fast and BLI offered the models directly to us at what I thought to be unbelievable prices just to move the stock.
Many of us purchased models at less than half price that year and many LHS were stuck with stock that would not sell at full price or even discounted. Since that
This all happened before I got into model railroading so thanks for telling me. I can understand that LHS get upset if current models are being discounted from the factory, at least if it’s on a regular basis. I to love FDT and think that their customer service is the best. I do not think that the fact that FDT and BLI have a good relationship is a problem. More of an asset.
About the brass, I might admit that I’m very tempted of getting the Brass Big boy as well as the I-5. Maybe offering two versions isn’t very much more of a cost and then attract different target groups? In that case it makes sense. Have they released a brass version of something and not a regular one? I do not think so but I might be wrong?
My LHS (not my favorite LHS but the closest one to my house) stocks a lot of BLI blueline equipment.
I have not heard of anything bad said about them except that the Blueline sound decoder is a booger to program. I bought a GE C30-7 in SF Kodacrome paint scheme from him and have had no problems with it after figuring out how to program the sound decoder then program the additional motor decoder. I think this is the achilles heel with BLI. (The “sound only” decoder models that is.) It has a procedure that isn’t as conventional as other sound decoders and that is what is driving away business. Most modelers want to put the locomotive on the programming track and program it in one easy step without the headache of the extra steps and added decoder involved with programming a blueline sound decoder.
I can see some of BLI’s rational behind a “sound only” decoder locomotive but in other ways I can’t see it. The good point is that it can be used with a DC system, and it was supposed to lower the cost of a sound locomotive, but when using a DCC system, you have to purchase another decoder to drive the lights and motor and that makes all the savings go out the window.
My BLI locomotive to me, is satisfactory, looks good, sounds good, and performs well, and once I learned how to program it, it wasn’t that hard to get running. I don’t know why my LHS sells so many BLI models so I’ll have to ask him next time I go there. As a consumer I bought one which is probably a good reason why he sells them.
About the brass, I might admit that I’m very tempted of getting the Brass Big boy as well as the I-5. Maybe offering two versions isn’t very much more of a cost and then attract different target groups? In that case it makes sense. Have they released a brass version of something and not a regular one? I do not think so but I might be wrong?
The models in brass seem to have a companion model with them in most cases. This is probably a problem to overall sales of their brass since many of us who purchased brass for so many years are not interested in purchasing at the prices commanded today since we can purchase the sound models that look very good for a low price. I have decided to purchase the lower cost sound models since most of my later brass models are Overland, Key, Division Point and Challenger imports. These are the top of the game in brass and to continue to replace them or get a slightly new or better model is very costly.
I looked at the PCM Brass Big Boy at Caboose Hobbies in December and it is very nice. The problem is I have several brass Big Boys and the latest Key and Overland are super models also, so I don’t need any more. They probably only imported a few and that makes the cost even higher since low quantity runs are very expensive.
I believe the I5 Hybrid is the geatest deal ever or at least recently. It was built out of brass and does not have a plastic shell.
So the entire shell is brass? I was under the distinct impression that it was plastic. This makes it an even better deal and makes me wonder why I would by the brass version! Thanks for the info.
I’m really disappointed with you Cazephyr, , now the wife will get even more upset!
You should no better then tell me these kind of things, it’s like a drug dealer outside a kindergarten.
Now it will be even harder to withstand the lure of these fantastic looking machines!
Now you have to remember, I said I read that but have not verified the information with Joe. Now if you don’t call him, you won’t have to find out if it is true or not and order one!!!
I was going to order one myself and looked over my list of models trains and decided it was time to taper off on my buying.
The last thing I needed was one more set of F units but I just received the ABA CB&Q with Loksound set of F3’s on special today at the house. FDT shipped them last week ground UPS and they were shipped from Florida (BLI). The ABA set of F3’s sound models are discounted so much you can remove the two Loksound decoders and use them for other installations saving money over buying the new decoders and you still have three powered F3 units for free. Where else but at FDT can I can a deal like this??? Now to see if the Genesis shells will fit over the PCM chassis sets. This may be interesting.
And to add insult to injury, they also shipped me one of the last run Santa Fe 2-10-4’s 3829, the experimental 2-10-2. It is from a new run also and runs great. Price. $99
I couldn’t help myself the last few weeks with Joe and FDT. I got my self 13 engines so please no more no more I tell ya! [:D]
First I got three J’s.
Then the urge to spend stupid amount of cash rose again and I bought three RSD-15, two AB sets of F3’s and a little Switcher.
And what happens then, well Joe drops the price on the SD7’s that i was going to buy anyways and oops, I got three more of those and a galloping goose to match!
So NO, no more, foul temptress, I will not call Joe, no never!
Magnus [:D]
P.s, Who am I kidding,where is that phone, credit card and angry wife!